A Loving Rescue
by the Anastasia Collection
Summary: [ANASTASIA] By Kelly. This takes place after Dimitri rescues Anya from jumping off the Tasha. ©98. Plz read&review, thx!


**"A Loving Rescue" **   
by Kelly 

Summary: [ANASTASIA] This takes place after Dimitri rescues Anya from jumping off the Tasha. ©98. Plz read&review, thx!   
~*~ 

"Anya! Anya, wake up!" Dimitri said, shaking her by her shoulders to wake her. She jolted awake and tried to hit him, but he quickly grabbed her hands. She looked up, saw it was him and breathed a huge sigh of relief. She noticed the rope that was hanging beside them and looked back out at the sea. She had almost jumped! She cried out in fear and gripped Dimitri tightly, burying her face in his reassuring shoulder, his safe shoulder. For the moment she couldn't think of a better place to be then safe in his arms. 

"The Romanov Curse, the Romanov Curse!" she cried, still clinging to him. 

"What are you talking about?" Dimitri said, searching her face. Tears were pouring and she was shaking. 

"I keep seeing faces, Dimitri... so many faces..." She started to tremble with the fear she felt and Dimitri held her close to him without thinking and gently rocked her back and forth like a child. 

"It was a nightmare," he said softly in her ear. "It's all right. You're safe now. I won't let anything hurt you." He smelled the scent of her hair like he had just earlier and smiled, resting his chin on her head. "I won't let anything hurt you. You're safe now." They stayed like that in the rain for almost ten minutes. Slowly, Anya's sobs quieted down as the rain beat into their clothes. 

Finally Dimitri got down eye to eye with her. "Do you feel better now?" he asked softly. She nodded and whiped her eyes. The rain had stopped now, and the sun was peeking just barely out of the clouds. 

"But let's not go back to the room," she whispered. He didn't ask why, just nodded and led her to some deck chairs. It would be at least a half-an-hour before anyone was awake. Dimitri decided against asking her about her dream. No reason to get her stirred up again. If she voluntarily told him, then he'd listen. But until then, he'd remain quiet. 

"For once your dog did something right." 

"What do you mean?" 

"He woke me up as soon he noticed you were gone." 

"Really..." She wanted to thank him but the words just wouldn't come out. Dimitri noticed and smiled gently at her. "So when do we reach Paris?" Anya asked as confidently as she could muster. Dimitri smiled. 

"Today hopefully. Then we'll go see Sophie." Anya held her head in one of her hands. 

"I don't know if I'm ready for this, Dimitri..." He laughed. 

"Of course you are, Anya. Why wouldn't you be?" She shook her head slowly. 

"I... I don't know. I suppose I'm just nervous." 

"Would you like a napkin to twist?" Dimitri asked. She laughed and he did too. She noticed that they were both soaked and reached out to take Dimitri's arm and feel his shirt. Heavy with rain. His hair was wet and slicked back. 

"I'm sorry for making you stand in the rain," she mumbled. 

"No problem. I do it all the time," he teased. Anya laughed. 

"I'm sure." She suddenly realized that his pajamas she was wearing, were all wet too. "Oh, and I'm sorry about your pajamas..." He laughed again. 

"They look better on you anyway." She blushed and whiped a strand of hair out of her face. 

"Maybe we should go inside now." 

"Yeah." They walked to the stairs and down into the hold. Opening the cabin door quietly, they snuck in without waking Vlad. Pooka was smiling up at his mistress, who picked him up and cuddled him. 

"Thank you for waking Dimitri," she whispered to him. "And thanks, Dimitri..." But he was already gone, in the bathroom to change clothes. 

~*~ 

Anya straightened her hair ribbon once more and glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a movement and spun around in her seat. 

"You look wonderful, Your Grace," Dimitri said kindly. Anya blushed under the look his eyes gave her. She had noticed that look a lot lately, ever since they had danced. She couldn't deny that she enjoyed it. She quickly stood up. 

"Thanks. Is the boat docked?" 

"Everything's ready," Dimitri said with a bow. He held out his arm and Anya looked at it. Dimitri laughed. "Proper women in Paris always have escorts when they walk around town." 

"Is that so?" Anya smiled. She looped her arm through his. He patted her hand amiably. 

"There. Now you look like a Grand Duchess. Your escort is maybe less than desirable..." 

"Oh no!" Anya said quickly. She had thought he looked quite handsome. She smiled warmly at him. "You look quite nice in your suit, Dimitri. Really." He stopped and their eyes met. 

"I really do hope you like your dress, Anya." She smiled again and did a quick twirl in it. 

"I love it! I..." She started to say something else, but his eyes stopped her. She wished suddenly to lay her head against his shoulder like she had last night, to touch his hair, to sweep it out of his face. But she stopped herself. Dimitri put his arm back out and they continued up the rest of the way to the ship's deck. Vlad was waiting for them. 

"Hello! I thought you two would never get here. Look, the Effiel Tower!" He pointed off in the distance. Anya squealed in delight and ran to the end of the deck. Dimitri started to ask Vlad a question but found suddenly that he had disappeared back down the hold. He shrugged and leaned out against the railing next to Anya, who was staring intently at Paris. 

"Do you think that my family is really in that huge city, Dimitri?" Anya asked, absentmindedly. Dimitri gulped rather guiltly. 

"Yes." he answered. Anya seemed pleased by his response and continued to look at the Paris horizon. 

"It's so beautiful," she said, leaning her hands on the railing next to Dimitri's. Their fingers touched ever so slightly. She didn't notice, or pretended not too. Dimitri looked down at their hands then quickly back at Paris. 

"The City of Love," Vladimir said suddenly from behind them, startling Anya and Dimitri apart. He stood over on one side of Anya and Pooka played around her feet. 

"You need a last name, you know." 

"A last name?" 

"Sure. In case we're stopped or something, it would be nice for you to tell that your name was Anya such-and-such instead of just 'Anya'." 

"Good point." 

"Did they give you one back at the orphanage?" Anya rolled her eyes. 

"Dimitri, I thought we went through this back at the palace! I was just called Anya... nothing more, nothing less." Dimitri leaned against the deck thoughtfully. 

"Okay, then. Let's think. Anya... Anya... Anya Romanov!" 

"Oh, that's subtle," Anya scoffed. Dimitri wrinkled his nose. 

"Fine. How 'bout Anya...Vonamor!" 

"Vonamor?" Anya and Vlad said at the same time. 

"Sure. It's just Romanov backwords," Dimitri said, proud of his creativity. Anya rolled her eyes again and Vlad leaned his head in his hand. 

"How about Tiev? It's common, it's simple, and it doesn't draw attention," Anya said. Vlad looked up and nodded. 

"I like that plan, Dimitri." 

"Fine. Anya Tiev," Dimitri said somewhat disgruntedly. "Presenting Anya Vonamor. Well, _I_ liked it," he mumbled under his breath. 

"It _was_ a bit creative..." Anya laughed. Dimitri eagerly looked at her. 

"You think so?" 

"Yeah..." Suddenly Vlad slapped his head. 

"I left Pooka's food downstairs! I'll be right back!" Dimitri silently thanked him for leaving but knew that he wouldn't dare be able to touch her hand like he had before. Anya turned to look at him and suddenly blushed furiously. 

"I... I never got to thank you for saving my life last night." Dimitri shrugged. 

"We all have nightmares." Anya shook her head. 

"But this was so real... so frightening... and I don't even know why." Dimitri inclined his head slightly. 

"Wanna' talk about it?" She hesitated before answering. She needed to talk to him about it, she knew. It was sitting inside her like a pound of bricks, and she had a feeling that only he could lighten it. 

"I was sitting in this grassy field..." She explained the rest of the dream, Dimitri listening with interest. Afterwards she felt embarrassed about it for the first time and leaned back against the railing. Dimitri let out a low whistle. 

"That would certainly frighten me. Some guy whom you thought was your father just turned into some evil monster suddenly?" Dimitri looked back out at the sea then suddenly turned back to her. "What did your father look like?" 

"He was handsome... with dark hair and eyes, and a beard. He called me 'Sunshine'." Anya smiled. Dimitri suddenly rembered- _Sunshine_... Czar Nicholas had called his Anastasia 'Sunshine'! Could there possibly be a connection? 

The ship had docked and Vlad was back up on deck, motioning for Dimitri to help him with the luggage. Dimitri picked up his carpet bag and their suitcase, and Vlad grabbed a bag. As they walked down the plank, Dimitri said to Anya, "We'll get you some nice luggage once we have more to put in them." Anya laughed. Her new dress was her only belonging now, except for her necklace that she always wore. 

"Can I have some new pjs?" Dimitri laughed this time. 

"Sure. Not that you don't look great in mine," he joked. Vlad heard them talking and laughing and smiled. He held his hand out for a taxi and when one stopped, they put their luggage in the back, then Vlad helped himself in the front seat. Anya slid in the back with Pooka, and then Dimitri joined her, closing the door firmly behind them. 

"Ten Parkingway Square," Vladimir said to the man. The driver nodded and started to drive. He was practically deaf. He put up the protective glass that was common in many taxis then, and soon the back was completely soundproof. 

"Now, what did you and your family do every spring?" Dimitri asked Anya. She bit her lower lip. 

"Took picnics at the shore." 

"Right!" Dimitri quizzed her on royal trivia, about everything from royal events to royal relatives. 

"Where was Uncle Boris born?" Dimitri asked her. Anya cried out in frustration. 

"I don't know!" 

"Yes, you do," he said gently, placing a hand on her wrist reassuringly. She looked down at it, then back at him. He had that look in her eyes again, and she felt her heart start to beat faster. 

"But three days ago, I didn't even have a past and now I'm trying to remember a whole _lifetime_!" Dimitri smiled. 

"That's what you have me for." She grinned back at him as he ran a hand through his hair. 

"Now, where was Uncle Boris born?" He asked again. Anya sighed. She'd try this... for him. He'd worked so hard to help her. 

"Moscow?" Dimitri smiled again and Anya smiled at herself. She could do this... she could do this! 'I hope...' Dimitri decided to let her rest for a little while. Him & Vlad had done all that they could. Now was the time for them to hope and pray that their scheme worked out. But strangly, Dimitri really didn't want it too... sure, he wanted the ten million rubles. But was it worth losing Anya? 

Anya sat back and watched the houses and shops drive by at headspinning speed. Dimitri watched her eager face drink it all it and smiled, remembering what she had said last night about always wanting to go to Paris. 

"Anya?" 

"Hmm?" 

"Welcome to Paris." 

_(continues as in the movie)_ __

... 

ANASTASiA™ is copyright of 20thC.Fox, etc. ^_^ 

PS. Believe it or not, this is a work of fiction. All the incidents, names, and characters are imaginary.   
Any resemblence to actual persons etc, living or dead, is completely coincidental. ^_~ 

written by Kelly ©98, edited by SimbiAni™ ©2G4 


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